


together, i think that we can make it (c'mon let's run)

by pixel_perfect



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Jealousy, The Boys Are Alive, roommate au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:41:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27930940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pixel_perfect/pseuds/pixel_perfect
Summary: the one in which julie needs a place to live and the boys happen to have an empty room available.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 198





	together, i think that we can make it (c'mon let's run)

**Author's Note:**

> i'm back with another one! comments and kudos are welcome. lemme know what you think! i'm also on tumblr @maad-maxx  
> enjoy!

  


  


  


She doesn't feel very confident but knows it's for the best. She loves Flynn, she does, but sometimes, best friends shouldn't be roommates and that proves to be the case in this scenario. Flynn isn't a bad roommate. On the contrary, she's great. She gives Julie space and isn't even home most of the time, but she always has company and her friends are questionable to say the least so Julie put an end to it and her coworker, Reggie told her she could stay with him and his roommates. So here she is, suitcase in hand, ready to start a new chapter in her life.

  


  


"Hey, I'm Julie." She introduces herself in the most casual way she can in an attempt to hide the nervousness that consumes her. "Your roommate."

  


  


A guy with blonde wavy hair leans against the doorway, helps her with her things and lets her inside. "Come on in." He tilts his head for her to follow. "Reggie told me you'd be coming." He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm Alex."

  


  


Julie nods and stands beside him, making mental notes of what will hopefully be her new home. She looks around the place and is actually impressed with what she sees. It has all the necessary things for it to feel cozy, without cluttering. The living room has three beige colored walls and a brick accent wall, accompanied by black couches, a coffee table and a big screen T.V. Alex smiles and lets her take it all in before continuing with the rest of the tour.

  


  


"...and this, will be your room." Alex opens the door and Julie slowly steps inside. "This is your space and you can decorate it however you like, as long as you don't damage the walls or anything."

  


  


"Jotted." Julie nods and sits on the bed.

  


  


The room is a decent size with a dresser and a bed. She has enough wall space to fill it up with her artwork and her closet is a good size for all of her clothes to fit. She thinks hard on how to spice up the four white walls and add color.

  


  


"So, Reggie tells me you have another roommate?" Julie asks once she has things figured out.

  


  


"Yeah," Alex scratches his head. "Luke is pretty chill." He begins. "I'm sure you two will like each other."

  


  


Julie nods when Alex doesn't say anything else and decides to leave it at that. She'll make up her mind about him once they meet. She just hopes that for her sake, Luke is as great as they make him out to be. She really needs this to work and doesn't want to cause problems in her new environment.

  


  


"Hey, Julie?" Alex heads to the door and calls out before he leaves. "I'm glad you're here."

  


  


"Thanks Alex." Julie smiles. She truly believes he means what he says. "I'm glad to be here."

  


  


When Alex leaves, Julie uses that time to unpack and hang up some of her drawings. Alex returns with furniture polish and helps her tidy the place up before the boys arrive. Little by little, the room starts shaping up and Julie already feels like it's truly hers.

  


The pair stop what they're doing when they hear the front door open. Julie's nerves return. She knows Reggie and she and Alex hit it off well but she fears Luke. She's never met him and neither of the boys have given her enough information about him for to know much about anything.

  


  


"Guys, I'm home." Reggie announces and Julie's relieved when she hears his voice. "And I brought pizza."

  


  


They both walk to the kitchen to welcome him and Reggie smiles when he sees Julie. "You made it." He hugs her and opens one of the boxes of pizza. "Did you find everything okay?" He takes a bite and hands her a plate while Alex pours them drinks. "Alex didn't give you a hard time, did he?"

  


  


"Hey!" Alex waves him off. "I think out of the three of us, I'm the one she has to worry about the least."

  


  


Julie laughs and takes a sip of her lemonade. "We hit it off well, Reggie." She picks off the olives and puts them on Reggie's plate. "Don't worry, Alex is harmless."

  


  


"What'd I say?" Alex looks proud of himself and winks.

  


  


"Yeah, whatever man." Reggie scoffs and turns his attention back to Julie. "So, Jules, now that you'll be living here, I was thinking..."

  


  


The trio all turn around when they hear the front door open. A guy with brown wavy hair and a sleeveless t-shirt walks in and Julie realizes that, that is Luke, the other roommate. She takes a good look at him and concludes that he too looks harmless and friendly. This could definitely work.

  


  


"Hey, guys." He clears his throat.

  


  


"Hey, Luke." Reggie greets. "Come over here, man." He gestures.

  


  


"Yeah, there's someone we want you to meet." Alex looks at Julie and Luke realizes they have company.

  


  


He gets up from the couch and joins them in the kitchen. That's when Julie takes a good look at him and notices he doesn't look so good. He looks pale and sticky.

  


  


"Hey, I'm Julie." Julie stands up, sticks her hand out and ignores Luke's appearance.

  


  


"I'm..." Luke stops, lowers his head and pukes all over Julie's shoes.

  


  


"Dude, seriously?" Alex lets out a sigh and tosses Reggie a roll of paper towels.

  


  


"I think it was something I ate." Luke takes slow breaths.

  


  


Julie clears her throat and blinks slowly. She found it hard to move and couldn't believe what happened. They had definitely gotten off to a rocky start. So much for first impressions.

  


  


* * *

  


  


Julie lays on her bed, fresh out of the shower. Her mind is racing and she thinks she's made a mistake. Maybe she rushed things and should just pack everything up and apologize to Flynn. She's sure Flynn will understand and she can put everything behind her and act like nothing has happened.

  


  


She comes back to reality and clears her throat when there's a light knock on her door. Julie straightens up and brings her knees up to her chest. Luke walks in. He looks embarrassed, which he shouldn't be because that can happen to anyone. Julie's no one to judge and she'd rather forget.

  


  


"Hey..." Luke scratches his head and lets out a small laugh, clearly nervous.

  


  


"Hey, you feeling better?" There's genuine concern in Julie's voice.

  


  


"Yeah, I actually came to apologize." Luke explains and licks his lips. " Sorry for puking on your shoes, Jessica. I..."

  


  


"Julie." The girl interrupts.

  


  


"Huh?" Luke doesn't register the mistake he's made.

  


  


"My name's, Julie." She gets up from the bed and crosses her arms over her chest.

  


  


"Right." Luke nods. "Anyway, sorry about earlier." He mimics her and crosses his arms over his chest as well. "I didn't even know we were getting a roommate." Luke scoffs and watches Julie carefully.

  


  


She can't specify, but something about Luke's tone annoys her. She concludes that she has in fact made a mistake and regrets taking Reggie up on his offer. Luke's roommates were great but he was a different story and the boys gave him too much credit. He wasn't as great as they made him out to be.

  


  


"Do you want me to leave?" Julie slowly walks towards him and he steps back.

  


"You don't need my help to make that decision now, do you?" Luke's eyes are cold, his tone challenging. "You three clearly like to make decisions without me, so..."

  


  


"You're so full of it!" Julie breaks the distance between them. "Cry me a river, Romeo." She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Is my presence really such an issue to you?"

  


  


The look on Luke's face is a mix between surprise and disgust. He doesn't say anything, only stares at her, eyes cold. It isn't fair that he's blaming her for the situation they find themselves in. He shakes his head and turns on his heel, ready to leave the room.

  


  


"Hey," She grabs his arm and spins him around, forcing him to look at her. "I didn't know you weren't informed about me living here." He looks down at her, eyes furrowed. "You can't blame me for this."

  


  


"Maybe not." He walks forward and she meets the wall. "Look, I'm not a fan of new comers, okay?" His voice is low, almost threatening. "You and I aren't friends and never will be, so stay out of my way and I'll pretend you don't exist, got it?"

  


  


Reggie walks in, preventing Julie from answering the question. He grabs Luke by the shirt and pulls him away from her. Luke's been home for about two hours and Julie's already annoyed by him. She wonders how two great people like Reggie and Alex, can be friends with a person like Luke. She doesn't understand it.

  


  


"Dude, what is wrong with you?" Reggie pushes him away.

  


  


"Me?" Luke can't believe he's the one being blamed for this. "You're the one inviting random strangers to live with us!"

  


  


"Julie's not a stranger!" Reggie argues. "She needed a place to live and I offered her an empty room. There's nothing wrong with that!"

  


  


"I don't want you guys fighting over this." Julie steps in between both boys. "I'll just go."

  


  


"No!" Reggie doesn't hesitate. "The only one leaving here is him." He glares at Luke.

  


  


Luke takes heavy breaths and nods before leaving the room. Julie lets out a sigh, runs a hand through her hair and sits on the bed. Reggie joins her and the pair sit in silence. Julie's conflicted. As much as she wants to live here, she's not sure if it's in their best interest for her to stay.

  


  


"You never told me he didn't know." She whispers and glances at Reggie.

  


  


"I didn't think he would mind." Reggie looks down at the floor. "I'm sorry."

  


  


"Maybe it's best if I just go."

  


  


"No, Julie." Reggie puts a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Stay, please." His eyes are pleading. "He'll come around, okay?"

  


  


She hesitates for a moment before answering. "Okay." She closes her eyes and rests her head on Reggie's shoulder.

  


  


* * *

  


  


Luke drives Julie crazy. Well maybe crazy is taking it a bit too far, but he does annoy her and as the days go by, she learns that it's easier to live with the boys when he isn't around. The boys notice as well and constantly apologize on his behalf, which annoys Julie even more because it isn't their fault that their friend has the personality of a paper bag and is intolerable.

  


  


She doesn't hate him because that would be too strong of a word but ever since they met, things have been awkward and tense and the situation has only worsened with time. Luke is messy and always leaves drawers open. He plays music way too loud and likes to drink milk straight from the gallon. And does he not own a shirt with sleeves?

  


Julie decides to shake it off and makes a decision. A decision she hopes Luke will agree with. She's sure Reggie and Alex will appreciate it. They've had enough of the pair's bickering and she knows this isn't what any of them signed up for when she agreed to move in with them with the boys.

  


  


* * *

  


  


"We need to compromise." Julie finds Luke eating cereal in the kitchen one Saturday morning. "I think we've had enough of this game, don't you?" She sits across from him and watches him chew.

  


  


"I have no idea what you're talking about." Luke continues eating and scrolls through his phone.

  


  


"Us bickering all the time." Julie fills him in. He knows exactly what she's referring to even if he doesn't want to admit it.

  


  


Luke lets out a small laugh, rinses his bowl in the sink and corners her into a wall. He's inches from Julie's face and places his hand on the wall to prevent her from hitting her head. "That would imply that we're having fun." He whispers. "That's what a game should be like, isn't it?"

  


  


He doesn't move from his spot and glances down at Julie's lips and makes his way up to her eyes. Julie can smell the aftershave he's wearing and the smirk on his face tells her he thinks he's won. She pushes past him and lets out a sigh. She's trying, she really is but she concludes that talking to him is like talking to a wall.

  


"Julie," He gently grabs her arm and spins her so she can face him. "You wanna compromise?" He slides his hand down her arm and grabs her hand, his eyes never leaving her and sending a chill down Julie's spine. "Lets compromise." They shake on it and smile.

  


  


"Are you serious?" Julie can't believe he's actually agreed.

  


  


"Yeah." Luke lets go of Julie's hand. "The guys keep nagging me to be nicer to you."

  


  


"Okay, then." Julie smiles. "Clean slate."

  


  


* * *

  


  


It starts slow. She and Luke aren't exactly friends but they can now have an actual conversation that includes more than a one word answer. Julie knows they could be doing much better, but it's a start and as the days go by, they make more and more progress.

  


  


"Julie, would you," Luke bites his lip and clicks his tongue. "Wanna go with me to this festival?" He holds up a flyer for Julie to see. "The guys are busy."

  


  


Julie's face falls a little when she connects the dots, knowing he only invites her because he has no one else to go with. But Julie doesn't care because she has nothing better to do and an invite is an invite, even if it's a last resort type of thing.

  


  


"Sure." She nods and heads to her room to get ready.

  


  


Julie picks out her clothes, lays them on her bed and hops in the shower. Luke tells her to be ready in an hour so she uses all the time she's been given and doesn't waste a second. She dresses herself in an orange over sized collar shirt, denim jeans and beige converse. Next, Julie parts her hair to the side and applies her makeup.

  


  


When she heads to the living room, Luke is waiting for her on the couch and stands up when he sees her.

  


  


"Wow, you look nice." She smiles at Luke's compliment.

  


  


"Thanks." She studies him and compliments him too. "Not too shabby." Luke is wearing a navy blue collar shirt and black jeans. His wavy hair is stylishly messy and slightly parted to the side. "Ready to go?"

  


  


"Yeah." He nods and holds the door open for her.

  


  


They sit in comfortable silence for a while as Luke drives them to their destination. The music from the radio serves as background noise and Julie looks out the window as her favorite song plays.

  


  


"Hey, this is one of my favorites." Luke turns up the radio and sings softly.

  


  


"Mine too." She joins in on the singing and follows along to _When I'm Gone_ by _Simple Plan_.

  


  


Luke opens the door for her when they arrive and the pair make their way to the food. The event is packed with people, each at a different station. There are numerous games and activities all around. It feels nice to be out of the apartment and being with Luke isn't as bad as Julie thought it would be. He's in his comfort zone and the smile on his face tells her he's happy.

  


  


"C'mon." Julie grabs his hand when she sees a food truck preparing fruit. "Una sandia loca porfavor." Julie orders in Spanish and they sit on the bench while they wait.

  


  


"What did you order?" Luke asks once he sits down.

  


  


"A crazy watermelon." She watches people walk by and faces Luke when he says nothing. "That's just what they call a prepared watermelon." His eyes are wide. "It has an assortment of chewy Mexican candy, hot sauce, seasoning, spicy peanuts and lime."

  


  


His expression doesn't change once she finishes explaining.

  


  


"It's good." She laughs and he relaxes a little. "I promise."

  


  


She walks over to the food truck when the watermelon is ready. Luke finds them a small table in a corner and she hands him a plastic spoon so he can try the fruit. He examines it carefully, scared to take a bite.

  


  


"Here." Julie gives him a spoonful of fruit when he does nothing.

  


  


He chews slowly and wrinkles his nose nose at the sourness. "This is good!" He takes another bite and hands Julie his unused spoon.

  


  


"I told you." Julie bites into her tamarind candy.

  


  


After they finish eating,the pair walk around, check the place out and stumble across a small concert. Luke grabs Julie's hand and guides her to a spot where they can watch. The band is singing a cover of What I Like About You by The Romantics. Julie and Luke sway to the music and sing along. Luke watches Julie mouth the words and she catches him smiling at her.

  


  


"Alright, guys." One of the members says into the microphone. "We're gonna tone it down a bit for this next song." 

  


  


The drummer hits the hi-hat and the music softly plays.

  


  


"Grab your partner." The girl on the bass says with a smile on her face. "This is Brand New Day."

  


  


_"Never thought I'd say I'm sorry. Never thought I'd be the one to bring you down."_

_  
_

_  
_

Everyone's dancing." Luke looks down at Julie.

  


  


"Yeah." Julie looks around and nods.

  


  


" _And I, I think I'll change my ways_." The girl on the bass sings into the mic. " _So all your words get noticed_."

  


  


"Should we?" Luke reaches out for Julie's hand and she takes his in her own. They sway to the music. 

  


  


Julie rests her head on his chest and closes her eyes. She never thought she and Luke would ever spend the day together, much less like this and truth be told, she's enjoying herself and his company.

  


  


"Julie?" Luke's voice is soft.

  


  


"Yeah?" Julie opens her eyes and looks up at him.

  


  


Luke is hypnotized and sports a goofy smile on his face. He lets go of Julie's hand and walks off, getting closer to the stage to get a better look. Julie watches him and follows, confused as to what's happening.

  


  


"Luke?" She reaches him. "What's going on?"

  


  


"She's incredible, isn't she?" Luke tilts his head.

  


  


"Who?" Julie follows his line of sight. "The bass player?"

  


  


Luke nods and continues watching her play. He has the goofiest grin on his face, one Julie's never seen before. 

  


  


* * *

  


  


They form what quickly becomes a routine. Julie and Luke hang out on Friday nights without the boys. Sometimes staying in, other times going out, and exploring the city. She can finally say that things are at ease and the boys have become great friends, and surprisingly enough, that includes Luke.

  


  


"So what's your story?" Luke plops down on the couch one evening while Julie sketches on the living room floor.

  


  


"My story?" She pushes up her glasses to the bridge of her nose.

  


  


"Yeah, I never asked you that and now I'm curious." He joins her on the floor and watches her tentatively. "You sure know about music."

  


  


She puts her pencil down and sits up. Music is what links her to her mom and she's not sure if she's ready to have this conversation, with Luke, of all people. His eyes grow curious and she gives in.

  


  


"I needed a fresh start." She begins. "So, Flynn and I moved in together. I couldn't be with my dad, in that house anymore." Julie's voice breaks as she continues. "My mom, she passed away years ago and..."

  


  


"Hey, I'm sorry." Luke caresses her cheek. "You don't have to tell me, I shouldn't have asked."

  


  


"She's the reason I love music." Julie tilts her head and rests it on Luke's hand. "And the reason I gave it up."

  


  


"I hope it finds its way back to you." Luke whispers and gives Julie a small hug.

  


  


* * *

  


  


She finds him strumming his guitar one evening on the living room floor. He's a great guitar player. Their rooms are across from each and she sometimes hears him play and joins in without him knowing and sings softly.

  


  


"Mind if I sit?" Luke looks up and nods. "What are you playing?" She places a bowl of fruit between them and Luke takes a bite of watermelon before playing again.

  


  


"Sing with me." He says and strums the guitar. " _The world would be a lonely place_." He looks into her eyes and Julie nods when she recognizes the song he's singing. _"Without the one who puts a smile on your face_."

  


  


_"So hold me 'till the sun burns out_." She joins in and Luke smiles. _"I won't be lonely when I'm down_."

  


  


It feels different, singing with Luke and him being aware, but there's a comforting feeling now that she wasn't aware of before. She can't explain it, but they somehow become one when they sing together, their voices joining. A connection of sorts that's now present and Julie can't ignore. There's a look in Luke's eyes and she's sure he feels it too.

  


  


They continue singing, both of them trapped in their own little world together. Julie thinks back to all the times he's ever annoyed her and wonders why it took them so long to get to where they are now. The Luke she knows now is nowhere near the Luke she knew before and she's glad they were able to turn the page and start over.

  


  


"Hey, kiddos." Reggie and Alex walk in with groceries in hand.

  


  


"Are we interrupting anything?" Alex turns to Reggie, who smiles and nods.

  


  


"What could you possibly be interrupting?" Luke stands and offers Julie a hand and helps her up.

  


  


"You tell us." Alex crosses his arms.

  


  


"You guys are idiots." Luke disappears into his room.

  


  


Julie rolls her eyes and just like that, the moment is ruined.

  


  


* * *

  


  


He offers her a ride one morning when Reggie leaves earlier than expected. She takes him up on his offer and they listen to music, sing at the top of their lungs get yelled at by people walking by because it's too early to be making so much noise. They decide not to roll the windows down anymore during car rides and laugh together at the situation.

  


  


"Sorry about the other day." Luke turns the volume down on the radio. "The guys are idiots."

  


  


"I won't tell them you said that." Julie laughs and shakes her head.

  


  


"Don't worry, I let them know what I think every chance I get." They arrive to the radio station and stay in the car for a while before Julie has to go inside. "I can hear you sing along when I play guitar. I'm glad we got a chance to sing together."

  


  


He's known all along.

  


  


"You heard me?"

  


  


"Crystal clear." He winks.

  


  


She doesn't know what to say to that. "I should go in." She nods and hopes he can't see how red her cheeks are turning.

  


  


She waves goodbye and heads inside the record store. She's fifteen minutes early and sees a guy with blonde hair through the glass door. She's never seen him before and curiosity crawls up as she opens the door.

  


  


"Jules, come over here." Reggie motions. "This is Nick, our newest employee." He introduces them and they shake hands.

  


  


"This job is pretty easy." Julie tells Nick once Reggie is gone. 

  


  


"If I have any questions, you'll help me, right?" Nick bites his lip.

  


  


"Of course." Julie nods. "I'm here if you need anything."

  


  


She heads off to help a customer find what they're looking for. She rings them up at the register once they have what they're looking for and places the records and a few DVD's in a bag.

  


  


"Have a nice day." She calls out to the customer.

  


  


* * *

  


  


Nick quickly adjusts to the system they have at the record store. He's a fast learner and people seem to really like him. He's fit for the job and really knows about music. He finds Julie in the backroom, singing softly while unboxing CD's. He tries to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to disturb her and continue listening to her voice.

  


  


"Wow." He claps softly once she stops.

  


  


She abruptly turns around and clears her throat. "You heard that?" She laughs nervously.

  


  


"Yeah, I did." He nods and walks towards her, and lends her a hand. " _Cause I've got you to make me feel stronger_." He sings and Julie joins in.

  


  


" _When the days are off and an hour feels much longer_." They both sing together.

  


  


Nick laughs and stops singing. "That was amazing, Molina." His eyes are bright while he smiles from ear to ear.

  


  


Julie nods and offers him a small smile. She can't stop herself from comparing singing with Luke and singing with Nick and concluding that it's nowhere near the same. It isn't a competition but she knows in her heart that what she feels with Luke is definitely something that keeps her up at night.

  


  


They lock up at the end of the day and Nick walks Julie to her car. There's a warm breeze and the wind dances between Julie's fingers. Nick comes to a halt and leans against her car when they arrive.

  


  


"So, I guess I'll see you later?" He opens the door for her and she steps in the car.

  


  


"Would you like to go out some time?" Nick blurts out the words and they take Julie by surprise. "You don't have to say anything. Just think about it, okay?" He quickly adds and she nods.

  


  


She calls Flynn when she gets home and finds the apartment empty. She can't stop thinking about Nick's proposal and even though she wants to say yes, there's something preventing her from doing so. Or rather, someone.

  


  


"Get out of my head!" She yells out.

  


  


"I can come back?" Flynn watches her carefully.

  


  


"Flynn!" Julie wraps her arms around her best friend. "I didn't hear you come in." She walks to the kitchen and prepares a snack tray.

  


  


"Clearly." Flynn follows Julie to her room and she closes the door behind her. "What's going on in there, Jules?" Flynn points to Julie's head.

  


  


"Nick sort of asked me out." She doesn't beat around the bush and gets to the point.

  


  


"But?" Flynn grabs a pillow and brings it up to her chest.

  


  


"Luke." Julie admits. No point in denying it, especially with Flynn.

  


  


"Jules." Flynn tilts her head.

  


"I know, I know." Julie takes a bite of a sour gummy worm. "It's just, we've been spending so much time together and..."

  


  


"You like him." Flynn finishes for her. She's quiet for a few moments and bites her lip. "So, tell him." She encourages.

  


  


"What?" Julie almost chokes on the candy. "I can't just tell him?" She shakes her head at the thought.

  


  


"Sure you can!" Flynn throws the pillow. "That's how things work."

  


  


The girls hear the door open and scramble off the bed. Julie wipes her lips with a napkin and fixes her hair before she makes her way to the living room.

  


  


"Now's your chance." Flynn whispers.

  


  


Julie clears her throat and rubs her hands together. "Luke, we need to talk." She comes to a halt when she sees that Luke isn't alone and he's rather busy.

  


  


"Julie," Luke stops kissing the girl he's with and runs a hand through his messy waves. "I didn't know you guys would be here." He clears his throat and squeezes the girl's hand. "This is Chloe. My girlfriend."

  


  


Flynn lightly nudges her when she doesn't say anything and Julie blinks slowly and clears her throat. She regains her posture and pushes back all the thoughts racing in her head and decides to bury her confession.

  


  


"Nice to meet you." Julie greets the brunette.

  


  


"You too." The girl nods.

  


  


Her face seems familiar and it finally clicks for Julie. Of course, she and Luke had seen her play. She was the bass player for the band at the festival. Julie had no idea Luke even had contact with her, much less that they were dating.

  


  


"We'll leave you two." Flynn grabs Julie's hand and the girls walk back to Julie's room.

  


  


Flynn closes the door behind her and watches Julie pace around the room.

  


  


"They're dating?" Julie speaks up and Flynn feels like she can breathe again. "I didn't even know they knew each other."

  


  


"Jules?" 

  


  


"The concert was months ago." Julie counts with her fingers. "Why would he not tell me about this?"

  


  


There's a knock on the door and Luke walks in and closes the door.

  


  


"You said we needed to talk?" He waits for Julie to answer and Flynn disappears down the hall to let them converse.

  


  


"I don't even remember what it was about." Julie lies and avoids eye contact.

  


  


"Hey, you okay?" Luke puts a hand on her shoulder and she removes it and steps back.

  


"Peachy." She says flatly. "You should go. You don't wanna keep your...date waiting." She bites her tongue at the inability to say the word, girlfriend.

  


  


"Are you sure?" Luke presses, not convinced.

  


  


"Positive." Julie smiles tightly. "Go." She watches him leave and although he disappears, a lingering pain stays with her.

  


  


* * *

  


  


She feels terrible and trapped and can't breathe and she's sure she's gonna lose it at any moment. They're back to square one or, she is anyway, because things are different and now, Luke is with someone. Someone that isn't her and it pains her to see them together. Julie can't bring herself to even look at him and their conversations are now short and there's so many things left unsaid and it feels just like when they first met, only worse. Because now, she has moments shared and words spoken that now only live in her head.

  


  


"Julie," Nick lightly taps her on the shoulder. "Ready to go?"

  


"Yeah." Julie grabs the keys to the record store and locks up.

  


  


She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes for a moment. She thinks of happy thoughts. It's what Flynn deserves and it's what she's going to give because it's Flynn's birthday and they could both do without her drama, at least for tonight.

  


  


When she and Nick arrive to the loft, they find Alex hanging up streamers and Reggie putting the last touches, arranging the decorations on the dinner table. Julie tosses her keys on the plate by the entrance table and helps the boys.

  


  


Nick prepares the music while she pours chips inside a bowl and makes punch. Luke arrives shortly after with the cake and with Chloe by his side. Julie does her best to stay out of his way. She still can't talk to him properly and he's done trying to understand her behavior. She joins Nick instead and pretends to be busy anytime Luke tries to talk to her.

  


  


"You're gonna have to talk to me some time." Luke sneaks up on her and whispers in her ear when she heads to the kitchen.

  


  


"I don't know what you're talking about." Julie tries to ignore the goosebumps on her arms that Luke's voice have left.

  


  


"C'mon, Julie." Luke rolls his eyes. "You've been really distant." He steps forward and she bumps into the sink when she steps back. "Did I do something?"

  


  


"No." She quickly answers. "You never do anything."

  


  


"Then what's going on?" Luke presses, not liking her answer.

  


  


"Can we not do this today?" Julie whispers. "Today..."

  


  


"Julie." Nick interrupts and Luke puts distance between them. "Alex is waiting for Flynn by the elevator. C'mon." He grabs Julie's hand and she interwines her fingers in his.

  


  


"Who's this?" There's confusion in Luke's voice and Julie hesitates to introduce him.

  


  


"Nick, this is my roommate, Luke." Julie gestures. "Luke, this is Nick." Nick shakes Luke's hand with his free one, never letting go of Julie.

  


  


"Nice to meet you, man."

  


  


"Likewise." Luke responds flatly.

  


  


"You ready to go?" Nick glances at Julie, who nods.

  


  


"Oh, wait." Julie lets go of Nick's hand. "Go ahead, I need to take some things." Nick disappears and Julie grabs more chips and napkins.

  


  


"Are you two dating now?" Luke brushes his hand with Julie's and she stops in her tracks.

  


  


She turns around and faces him. How dare he question her? He has no right, considering he never told her about Chloe, who, despite being great, she can't bring herself to see them together without it stirring something inside of her. Julie stays silent for a few moments, never breaking eye contact.

  


  


"Happy Birthday!" The group yells and Julie joins them, leaving Luke in the kitchen, without an answer.

  


  


"This is great, Jules!" Flynn gives Julie a tight squeeze when she sees her. "Thank you for this."

  


  


"It was all a team effort." Julie glances at everyone in the room.

  


  


"Cool playlist, Nick." Flynn adds before taking a sip of her lemonade. "It feels nice to take a break."

  


  


"I'm honored to hear you say that." Nick smiles. "After all, you are the best DJ I know."

  


  


"To the best DJ we know!" Alex holds up a glass of sparkling water and the group toasts.

  


  


"Happy Birthday, Flynn." Julie whispers and kisses the top of Flynn's head.

  


  


* * *

  


  


He doesn't mean to stare but he can't help himself. There are unanswered questions and interrupted moments between them. Nick's arm is wrapped around her waist and she looks like she's having a good time by his side, while speaking to Chloe and Flynn. He's never seen her smile that way and although he loves it, there's a feeling that comes with it he can't explain.

  


  


"You alright there, buddy?" Reggie raises an eyebrow and follows Luke's line of vision, that unsurprisingly lands on Julie.

  


  


"Who does that guy think he is?" Luke whispers harshly.

  


  


"That's Nick." Alex joins in and informs him.

  


  


"I know that." Luke rolls his eyes. "How did they even meet anyway?"

  


  


"Reggie hired him."

  


  


"So, this is your fault?" Luke glares at Reggie, who shrugs in confusion. "Why am I not surprised?"

  


  


"He was looking for a job and we happened to be hiring." Reggie lets out a sigh. "That's how it works."

  


  


It shouldn't bother him, but it does. No amount of distractions or conversations he's not paying attention to, help ignore the fact that Nick has his arm around Julie's waist and is whispering something in her ear.

  


  


"Hey, babe." Chloe kisses his cheek and runs a hand up his arm. "Great party, huh?"

  


  


"The best." There's sarcasm in his voice as he turns his attention to his girlfriend.

  


  


She digs her fingers in his hair and pulls him in for a kiss. He hesitates for a moment, but gives in quickly and closes his eyes. Every thought of Julie disappears while he's kissing Chloe but he knows she doesn't deserve this. Chloe is great and he enjoys every minute he spends with her, but. There's a 'but'. There has been for awhile now. He doesn't when it began but he does know that Julie slowly made her way into his heart and the feelings he once had for Chloe, are now fading.

  


  


"I should help Alex." Chloe pulls away and laughs when she sees Alex struggling to take down decorations.

  


  


Luke lets go of her hand and heads out the door when he notices Julie is no longer inside. He can't explain the feeling he has when he sees her with Nick. He's disappointed, that's for sure but there's something else. He doesn't know what it is but he doesn't like it.

  


  


He heads back inside, helps the gang clean and ignores every feeling he has towards Julie that he can't explain. From the looks of it, Julie and Nick are together and Luke should focus on his own girlfriend, so that's what he plans to do.

  


  


* * *

  


  


Weeks later, Julie announces she's dating Nick. She says it casually and Luke hides the uneasiness he feels, as best he can. The boys congratulate her while he sits and watches. He and Julie haven't spoken much since Flynn's party and a part of him thinks it's better that way. Maybe it's best if they live their lives apart while living together.

  


  


"Congratulations." He says once the boys leave. His voice is flat and unconvincing but it's the best he can do. "Nick's a lucky guy."

  


  


"I don't believe you one bit." Julie sits across from him at the kitchen table.

  


  


"You don't think Nick is lucky to be with you?"

  


  


"Of course I do." She takes a bite of an apple and grabs a napkin. "I don't believe you truly think that about me."

  


  


I think a lot of things about you. Silence. "What I think doesn't matter anyway."

  


  


"That's not what I said." Julie whispers.

  


  


"Maybe not, but it's what you think." 

  


  


"What is your problem?" She demands.

  


  


"Why didn't you tell me about Nick?" He asks bluntly.

  


  


"The same reason you never mentioned Chloe." She fights without missing a beat. "We don't owe each other explanations."

  


  


"I guess we're both keeping things from each other then." Luke grabs his keys from the counter and heads out the door.

  


  


He drives around for a while and thinks of Chloe. Chloe. She doesn't deserve any of this and Luke knows that he has to do something about it because every time he thinks of her, Julie comes crawling in. 

  


  


He calls her and they talk inside his car while at a park. Silence fills the air and if his mind wasn't racing, it wouldn't be as awkward. Chloe waits patiently for him to say something, anything but he doesn't know where to begin.

  


  


"Chloe," She immediately knows where this is going.

  


  


"It's Julie, isn't it?" Chloe interrupts, voice calm.

  


  


"How did you..."

  


  


"It's not that hard to put two and two together." She shrugs. "You don't think I notice, but I do and I think I've always known."

  


  


"You did?"

  


  


"Yeah. I saw the way you acted at the concert and you're roommates, so this was bound to happen." She explains. "The question is, what are you gonna do about it?" Her voice is playful and challenging.

  


  


"She's with Nick. There's not much I can do."

  


  


"Trust your instinct." Chloe suggests. "If you and Julie are meant to be together, you will be."

  


  


Chloe opens the car door and kisses Luke on the cheek before she goes. "Good luck, Patterson."

  


  


"That's it?" Luke sticks his head out the window.

  


  


"What more do you want?" She waits for him to answer. "I'm not mad or anything. You two have a weird relationship though so I hope you figure it out."

  


  


On the drive back, Luke practices what he wants to say. He arranges his words as best as possible, thinking he only has one opportunity and wanting to make it right. It's not the best timing and there's no guarantee, but he has to let her know how he feels. 

  


  


"Where's Julie?" He lets out heavy breaths and closes the door behind him.

  


  


"She left with Nick." Reggie doesn't take his eyes off of the television screen.

  


  


Luke plops down on the couch with disappointment. He watches Reggie play video games while his mind wanders to wherever Julie is and thinks of her. Of course she's with Nick, why wouldn't she be? Patience has never been his strong suit and he manages the time he has to wait until she comes home. The loft feels bigger and emptier without her, a feeling he never thought he would have.

  


* * *

  


  


"I bet they will." Luke runs to the living room when he hears Julie's voice.

  


  


"I'm really excited about this."

  


  


"Julie!" Luke catches his breath before continuing. "Flynn?"

  


  


"Hey, roomie!" Flynn waves.

  


  


"Julie, I need to talk to you." He turns his attention to Julie, who looks at Flynn, not following.

  


  


"Can this wait? Flynn has something to say." She heads to the kitchen and calls the boys.

  


  


"No."

  


  


Luke's eyes are serious, something Julie hasn't seen in a while. "Okay." She nods and guides him to her room.

  


  


His hands are sweaty and he can't find his voice or knows what to say. She's staring at him, waiting.

  


  


"Luke?" Julie's voice is small, like she's almost scared.

  


  


"I know I shouldn't say this, but you need to know."

  


  


"Know what?"

  


  


He's quiet.

  


  


"Luke, you're scaring me."

  


  


He thinks it over for a while before blurting out, "I like you, Julie."

  


  


Julie smiles and rolls her eyes. "I like you too, silly." She punches his arm lightly.

  


  


"Julie," Luke's voice is low and Julie understands what he means.

  


  


The universe is cruel to say the least. How could Luke now have feelings for her? She's worked very hard to push them aside and she's finally managed. She and Nick are doing well together. They are.

  


  


"I'm with Nick." She whispers and steps back.

  


  


"I know, I know." Luke sighs and his voice cracks. "But..."

  


  


"Jules, c'mon!" Flynn interrupts, grabs her hand and pulls her away.

  


  


She catches a glimpse of Luke's torn face before leaving the room.

  


  


Luke is quiet as the night passes them. Distant and reserved. Julie feels terrible but she can't hurt Nick, not after everything she's fought to ignore. The apartment feels large and if things were different, she would be enjoying her time with him, but now more than ever, she wishes Reggie and Alex were here to relieve the tension.

  


  


* * *

  


  


"He's feeding her!" Luke whispers loudly.

  


  


"Some couples think that's cute." Alex wipes down the table and straightens the napkin holder.

  


  


"Why am I here?"

  


  


"Because the more you see them together, the less it'll hurt." Reggie takes a bite of his cookie.

  


  


He regrets coming here. It's bad enough he has to tolerate them in the loft, but at the bakery too? It was Alex's idea to get him out of the apartment. He hadn't left in two days and the boys were worried. Julie and Nick showed up later and Luke wanted to leave but he refused, he shouldn't have to.

  


  


Julie walks towards them moments later and it catches the boys by surprise.

  


  


"Will you stop staring?" She glares at Luke. "Your eyes are seeping into Nick's soul."

  


  


"Alex and Reggie are here too!" Luke fights back with no successful results.

  


  


Julie grabs his arm and takes him to a corner. The darkness in her eyes disappears and she softens her tone when she speaks.

  


  


"I wanna make this work with Nick." There's nothing he can do. "I'm sorry."

  


  


Luke doesn't say anything. He knows it doesn't matter. Timing isn't on his side and it's something he has to live with. Julie takes his silence as a form of agreement and returns to Nick. Luke has had enough and leaves the bakery.

  


  


* * *

  


  


Julie can't stop thinking about Luke. Luke is honestly always on her mind as much as she tries to deny it. Things with Nick are tense and she feels distant as the days go by. It isn't fair to him, she knows and that makes her feel worse. If she and Luke had caught up to each other, if they had just been on the same page, things would be different. She knows what she has to do.

  


  


Luke arrives later that day and finds her in her room, with the door open. She's sitting on the floor, knees up to her chest and phone in hand. He walks in slowly, afraid that he'll ruin something, as he's done lately.

  


  


"Julie?" He sits across from her and she doesn't register that he's there. "Julie?" He says her name again and caresses her cheek.

  


  


"I broke up with Nick." She meets his eyes. "He saw it coming." She laughs sarcastically. "They both did." She's referring to Chloe now.

  


Luke presses his forehead to hers and closes his eyes. It's not the right time, as much as he wants to kiss her, he knows he shouldn't. His hand never leaves her cheek and he savors this moment with her, sitting in comfortable silence and letting it speak for them. Say everything they haven't been able to say out loud. He opens his eyes, stands and is about to leave when she stops him.

  


  


"I thought this was what you wanted?" This isn't the reaction she expected from him. "What we wanted."

  


  


"It is, I just..." She walks after him, follows him out the door. "It's complicated." Luke presses the button on the elevator and steps inside.

  


  


"What's complicated about it?" The door closes behind her and he has nowhere to go, no choice but to answer her. "We weren't on the same page before, but we are now. We've caught up to each other."

  


  


"I don't wanna ruin this." Luke shakes his head. "I don't you to regret what you just did. You're too important for me to lose you."

  


  


"I'm right here." She cups his face and feels the warmth of his skin against her own. "We're finally here." She laughs. "It took us a while but we made it."

  


  


"Are you sure about this?" He bites his lip and looks down at her, tangling his fingers in her hair. "You really wanna take that leap?"

  


  


_"Life is a risk but I will take it_." She sings softly, assurance in her eyes. " _Close my eyes and jump_."

  


  


" _Together I think that we can make it_." They sing together. _"C'mon, let's run_."

  


  


Silence fills the small space and in moments, Luke pulls Julie forward and places his lips on hers. He puts a hand on the wall before she crashes into it. Luke's lips feel soft against her own. There's familiarity, a comfort she feels in his arms. She's on known territory. She's home.

  


  


"You're worth more than words can express." Luke says between breaths.

  


  


"Then stop talking." Julie finds his lips, like a perfectly fit puzzle piece and they continue kissing.

  


  


It took them some time to figure things out but they made it.

  


  


* * *

  


  


"Are you guys almost ready?" Reggie walks in the room and Julie helps him put his mask on.

  


  


"I look ridiculous." Luke rolls his eyes.

  


  


"You look great, babe." Julie kisses his cheek and helps him button his black and white striped dress shirt. "C'mon, it'll be fun, and it's important for us to be there for Flynn."

  


  


"Don't take too long, okay?" Luke kisses Julie's lips softly and grabs his black blazer and mask.

  


  


"We'll see you guys in a bit." Alex calls out when Luke and Reggie head out the door.

  


  


Julie heads to her room to change into her purple floral, v-neck dress. Everything has to be perfect for this party. Flynn's been anticipating this day for weeks, excited to play her music and be introduced to a bigger world as a deejay. She hopes Luke and Reggie aren't having too much trouble helping her set up and hurries to get there faster.

  


  


She heads to the bathroom when they arrive and shortly after, the party begins. She walks into the room, filled with lights and balloons and people having a good time. She catches Luke and he sees her immediately, eyes wide. He walks towards her as a mix of _Forever Young_ plays in the background.

  


  


"You...wow." He hadn't seen her with the dress on and is taken aback. "Dance with me." He guides her to the dance floor.

  


  


She sees Reggie with Flynn, in her element. Flynn waves from the distance and smiles while she and Luke dance together. Their bodies become one, in a moment they've made their own. The people around them disappear and they get consumed in each other as the songs plays on.

  


  


"This is amazing." Luke says into her ear. "She's really good!" 

  


  


"Isn't she?" Julie rests her head on his chest. "I'm happy we're here...together."

  


  


"Me too." Luke cups her face, leans in and kisses her.

  


  


They dance and eat appetizers as the night goes on. Julie sees the positive expression on people's faces and is proud to say her best friend contributed to that. Flynn joins her at the table after taking a small break.

  


  


"Amazing outcome." Julie says.

  


  


"Better than I expected." Flynn gives Julie's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for being here, Jules."

  


  


"Are you kidding?" Julie scoffs. "Your boss throws great parties and you providing the music, I wouldn't miss it for the world." The group spends the remainder of the night on the dance floor, letting the music speak for them. 

  


  


* * *

  


  


"Home sweet home!" Reggie yells out when he opens the apartment door.

  


  


"I'm exhausted." Alex plops down on the couch.

  


  


"What about you, Molina?" Luke holds onto Julie's thighs while giving her a piggyback ride.

  


  


"I could sleep for days."

  


  


"You heard her, boys." Luke announces. "I'll be back."

  


  


Luke puts her down and helps take off her heels. He unzips her dress and turns around while she changes into comfortable shorts and a T-shirt. Julie lays in bed and pats the empty space beside her for Luke to join.

  


  


"You okay?" She kisses his cheek and rests her head on his chest.

  


  


"All that dancing made me dizzy." He confesses.

  


  


"You're not gonna puke are you?" She lifts her head instantly.

  


  


"No." He laughs at the memory of when they first met and the horrible first impression he made. "I am gonna kiss you though." Luke lifts her chin with his thumb and wraps his hand around her neck.

  


  


"I like that idea." Julie closes her eyes and finds his lips.

  


  


She doesn't exactly know how she got here. Being with Luke made time stop, in the best way. Through ups and downs, they finally agreed on something. They hadn't been ready before, but they were now and Julie wasn't going to waste a second. She continues kissing him and falls asleep to the warmth of his skin and the beating of his heart.

  


  


  


  



End file.
